RX-75-4 Guntank
The RX-75-4 Guntank is a mobile suit in the series Mobile Suit Gundam. Technology & Combat Characteristics The RX-75-4 Guntank was the first prototype Earth Federation Forces mobile suit developed by Operation V. However, it was said to be closer to a tank rather than a mobile suit. A number of companies such as Takim and Hervic participated in its development. The Guntank had the torso and arms of a mobile suit, but possessed caterpillar treads for legs. Initially, it was designed to be piloted by a crew of two, with a gunner in the canopy-style cockpit on the head and a driver in another cockpit in the torso. However, it was later changed to be controlled by a single pilot in the canopy-style cockpit. Like all "Operation V" mobile suits, the Guntank used the Core Block System. Its reactor is a hybrid type of nuclear reactors and gas turbines, and its output is insufficient for powering beam weapons. The Guntank's main weapons are twin 120mm cannons, which are effective at long and medium ranges. Its arms have four-barrel missile launchers instead of hands, and they provided good cover fire against enemy tanks and aircraft, but are less effective against enemy mobile suits. A major flaw of the Guntank is its inability to turn its torso, making it difficult to aim the cannons at moving targets, as the Guntank must reposition itself. Another major flaw is that its design was primarily for ground combat, resulting in it having poor maneuverability in space. Armaments ;*120mm Low-Recoil Cannon :Two 120mm Cannons are equipped on the shoulders of the Guntank. The cannons were used for long range artillery and sniping. They have a firing distance of 260km, which exceeds visual range. ;*4-tube 40mm Bop Missile Launcher :Two 4-tube 40mm Bop Missile Launchers are mounted in the Guntank's arms. They rapid fire small anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 20km. As the Guntank is not equipped with any close range weapon, the Missile Launchers are also used as the primary defense weapon. Special Equipment & Features ;*Core Block System :The prototype mobile suits produced by the Earth Federation Forces' Operation V are equipped with a central block which houses the mobile suit's cockpit, control systems and main power source. This core block can eject in case of emergency and unfold into a small Core Fighter. History The RX-75-4 Guntank was developed when the first rumors of the Principality of Zeon's mobile suits reached the Federation. Only one of the Guntank units survived the attack on Side 7. This last prototype made its way to the Pegasus-class assault cruiser White Base. The Guntank then fought alongside the RX-77-2 Guncannon and the RX-78-2 Gundam. After the death of the Guntank's pilot Ryu Jose, the mobile suit was upgraded to be used by a single pilot in the canopy-style cockpit. When the White Base came under attack by Dimitri in the MA-04X Zakrello mobile armor while leaving earth's atmosphere, Hayato Kobayashi launched in the Guntank to intercept. However he was clearly outmatched by the Zakrello's superior speed and power. Fortunately, the near-suicidal plan bought Amuro Ray enough time to deploy in the Gundam to defeat Dimitri. The Guntank then continued service on board the White Base until it was destroyed at the Zeon space fortress A Baoa Qu. In the compilation films, the Guntank was decommissioned at Jaburo, with its pilot, Hayato Kobayashi, being assigned to a second Guncannon unit for the remainder of the war. Variants ;*RX-75 Guntank Mass Production Type ;*Guntank Psycommu Type :First appeared in the parody Mobile Suit Gundam-san, this Guntank variant stems from Hayato Kobayashi's frustation of using Guntank in space and desire for something more flashy than Amuro Ray's RX-78-2 Gundam. His Guntank suddenly gains the ability to use the Psycommu System. Unfortunately for Hayato, it is just a dream sequence. Its Gundam War card reflects this perfectly, stating this card appears to have Psycommu abilities. Gallery rx-75-4-cockpit.jpg|Cockpit line art Guntankinspace_0079.png|Hayato Kobayashi's Guntank in action guntankwreckage.jpg|Zeon's Marchosias MS regiment with a wreckage of Guntank o0600042210271442427.jpg|CG art: Firing the 4-tube Bop missile launcher Pysco Guntank.jpg|Guntank (Psycommu Type) from Gundam War game card RX-77-2-Guncannon RX-78-2-Gundam RX-75-4-Guntank GBFT-6.png|Cameo in Gundam Build Fighters Try Ep 6 Gundam Diorama Front 3rd RX-75-4 Guntank.png|As seen on the game Gundam Diorama Front 3rd. Gunpla OldGuntank.jpg|1/144 Original RX-75 Guntank (1981): box art Hguc-rx75-4.jpg|1/144 HGUC RX-75 Guntank (2000): box art OperationV.jpg|Guntank as part of 1/144 HGUC "Gundam Operation V" triple set (2001): box art Mg-rx-75.jpg|1/100 MG RX-75 Guntank (2009): box art Diorama-RambaRal.jpg|Guntank as part of 1/250 Original "Ramba Ral's Attack" diorama set (1981): box art Gun Atack.jpg|Modelling conversion session with Kunio Okawara: "Gun Attack" launching platform utilizing 1/144 Original RX-75 Guntank Action Figures MSiA_rx75-4_p01_Original.jpg|Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA / MIA) "RX-75 Guntank" (Asian original; 2001): package front view. MSiA_rx75-4_p02_USA.jpg|MSiA / MIA "RX-75 Guntank" (North American release; 2001): package front view. MSiA_rx75-4_p03_USA_RealType.jpg|MSiA / MIA "RX-75 Guntank (Real Type Color)" (North American release; 2001): package front view. RobotDamashii_rx-75-4_WhiteBaseDeck_verANIME_p01.jpg|Robot Damashii "RX-75-4 Guntank & White Base Deck Ver. A.N.I.M.E." figure set (P-Bandai exclusive; 2017): package front view RobotDamashii_rx-75-4_WhiteBaseDeck_verANIME_p02_sample.jpg|Robot Damashii "RX-75-4 Guntank & White Base Deck Ver. A.N.I.M.E." figure set (P-Bandai exclusive; 2017): product samples includes Guntank, Core Fighter and White Base Deck diorama Notes & Trivia *A number of representations of the Guntank in other media, usually video games, depict it as capable of turning its upper body to a limited degree and increasing its range of fire. *In most video games, particularly Mobile Suit Gundam Bonds of the Battlefield and Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation, the Guntank's primary role is a base destroyer that has to be escorted by close-combat capable MS (as it is relatively helpless when it comes to melee fighting, since the Bop Missiles do minuscule damage). In Bonds Of the Battlefield, the Guntank can gain a mid-range support role if equipped with cluster bombs (at the expense of being unable to use a quickly activated Body Charge). References Tank.jpg See Also *RX-75 Guntank (Thunderbolt Ver.) *RX-75 Guntank/Origin External links *RX-75-4 Guntank on Wikipedia.org *RX-75-4 Guntank on MAHQ.net *RX-75-4 Guntank on Gundam.de ja:RX-75-4 ガンタンク